Command and Conquer
by DizmiusArtistius
Summary: Set amidst the prequel era, the life and times of OC Wing Commander Aoife Toza, a force-sensitive who will link the past to the future.


Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything belongs to Disney etc.

In the senate public gallery, the holonet news channel flashed up on the screens with the latest announcement of the early morning, just as the senate briefings were due to end. The newsreader announced brightly "Aoife Toza has been selected to succeed Salvan Heterjee as a Wing Commander of the Fleet. She will assume all responsibilities for her new role from the next cycle. A pilot corps junior recruit, Wing Commander Toza has risen through the starship fleet ranks over a number of years and her succession to the post of Wing Commander comes after a much-admired career within the fleet."

Sitting on a bench in the far corner of the gallery, near the entrance to the Supreme Chancellor's offices, newly appointed Wing Commander Toza was flicking crumbs out of the folds in her new official uniform sleeves. She looked up to see herself on the holonet newsblast, raised an eyebrow at the chosen official photograph of herself and returned to crumb-flicking. It must have been a slow news day to report on the comings and goings of the republic transport fleet. It wasn't even an army, more of a network of honourific figureheads shipping VIPs, Jedi and senators around the galaxy. Wing Commander indeed…

"The Supreme Chancellor will see you now" Sly Moore, Palpatine's aide looked down from the corridor entrance at Aoife, with what Aoife could only describe as indifference. So much for the status of holonet celebrity.

Aoife silently followed Sly Moore through the myriad of corridors and ante chambers, before being announced at the entrance to Palpatine's chambers. The Supreme Chancellor was sitting at his desk with his back to the doors. "Be seated" his voice carried over the back of his chair. Aoife looked at the number of chairs before his desk and picked the one closest. Palpatine turned his chair and arched his fingers, observing Aoife in silence for a few moments.

"It occurs to me", Palpatine began in a quiet but friendly voice completely at odds with his earlier utterance "That you are of Jedi stock."

Aoife said nothing, remaining motionless. There was no question to answer.

Palpatine continued "I have seen your records. You are an impressive pilot indeed. You must be very proud to have achieved such a high position at your young age. At twenty seven, I was barely out of government training." He motioned for the guards to leave behind Aoife. "You failed to be chosen as a padawan learner and chose to enter the pilot corps. You must have been disappointed, no?"

Aoife smiled quietly "The path of Jedi Knight is not for all who enter the temple. I have no regrets."

"Perhaps." Palpatine smiled in return, "It must be difficult to reassign your hopes and…. raison d'etre… to another occupation. You came highly recommended by the council, however, and many senators who have had prior dealings with you."

"I am grateful for their recommendation." Aoife reclined slightly, this was no interrogation. Palpatine seemed to have a genuine concern for her new role. "I have not found my essence to have altered. My aims are that of the republic, which, to me, seem to echo the aims of the Jedi as a whole. We work towards peace and cooperation. How we get to that end is perhaps the only difference."

Palpatine stood and beckoned Aoife to join him at his window overlooking the skyline of coruscant "I would like to take a deeper interest in the fleet. I feel it is somewhat overlooked as an authority in the galaxy. "

Aoife nodded "It isn't meant to be anything of an authority from what I know, but I am sure your interest will reap nothing but success for the fleet".

Palpatine rose, the meeting was over. Aoife took her cue to bow and turned for the door. "Wing Commander Toza," Palpatine placed a hand on her shoulder as they walked to the corridor, "I expect to see you at the gala reception for the honourable representatives from our new outer rim constituents this evening."

Aoife nodded, "Of course, I am delighted to be requested to attend."

The doors silently slid closed behind her as she walked briskly back down to the senate galleries and entrance halls. Political galas were an interesting mix of wannabes and self-entitled creatures. A few genuinely honest faces would be around, a couple of jedi no doubt, but the majority would be a sickening mix. Orders were to be obeyed, regardless.

Aoife's new rank determined a new residence. As a pilot and captain, she had lived with the rest of the fleet workforce in a building behind the SIS Headquarters. In the midst of meetings, appointments and investitures, all of Aoife's belongings had been transported to a new home. It wasn't quite 500 Republica, but the views were similarly stunning. Aoife slid into one of the unpacked chairs and threw her boots and datapad onto the pile of boxes before her. The day had barely begun and she glanced over the boxes and furniture that had unceremoniously been dropped in the middle of the apartment. Wing Commanders didn't, apparently, get the full relocation package.

As the sun set over the Galactic City skyline, Aoife stepped back and reviewed her day's work. Everything was in its place, tidy and clean. The apartment was enormous and looked empty with her few possessions scattered across the space. Every movement had an echo, and it unnerved Aoife slightly. When she walked across the marble floors, she was sure the steps she made called her name in echo. Left foot "Eee", right foot "fahhh", and again, and again.

"Eee, fah, eee, fah" her steps called back to her as she walked to her dressing room, the evening's military gowns laid out hours before. "Absurd" Aoife spoke to herself.

Military gowns were the most ridiculous of dress items Aoife had had the displeasure of wearing. Navy and grey with gold piping and obnoxiously shiny buttons you daren't touch for fear of smearing the shine. Aoife's speedercab dropped her off at the Bonandan Embassy. The Bonandans were hosting the reception for the new republic constituents, no doubt in a move to engender trade links from the off. Aoife spotted the bar with a quick sweep of the room, and made a bee line through the crowd towards it.

"Commander Toza"

"Knight Kenobi, Anakin" Aoife knew if there was one place you'd ever find a jedi at an ambassadorial reception, it would be at the bar, keeping out of the way of the political turmoil and slimeballing. She also knew they'd sensed her appearance as a third glass of Juma Juice had arrived in front of her as she took a chair at the bar. "How's the party?"

"So, I saw Ambassador Hotch take the senator from Malastare into a cupboard." Anakin started breezily, "Totally uncalled for. He came out with lipstick smeared all over his face."

"Anakin." Obi-Wan's tone bordered on admonishment "It doesn't befit our presence to gossip."

"It so does." Aoife smirked, "Tell me more, wing nut."

As Anakin began the story of how Ambassador Hotch had been on the prowl for the Malastarian senator all evening, Aoife sat back and let his tale wash over her. He had been a small scrap of a boy when he had first appeared in her hangar bay, looking for something mechanical to play with. Few of the other padawans had welcomed his presence at first, having heard he was the chosen one, yet so far behind them in their studies. Children were cruel, even Jedi younglings. For a long time, Aoife thought Kenobi's natural expression was one of permanent exasperation, as he inevitably came to find his missing padawan in the temple's fleet bays. Aoife had nicknamed Anakin "Wing Nut" due to his incredible ability to lose small nuts and bolts whilst fixing things. These missing items would invariably turn up a couple of days later in a small box, with a note from Kenobi explaining how he had found an assortment of nuts and screws in the folds of his padawan's tunic when he'd picked it up off the floor. As the years passed, the boxes of missing miscellany grew larger and Kenobi had started to return them in person.

"And so, basically, he's completely stuffed now. No escape from that cupboard." Anakin finished with a shrug. "Hey!" He brightened "You're Wing Commander now, that makes me second in command, right? Wing Commander and Wing Nut, brilliant!"

"It makes you completely out of your mind" Kenobi rolled his eyes, "I have no idea why we're here. Master Yoda and Master Windu managed to occupy themselves elsewhere perfectly well, and Master Windu was a critical figure in the process of some of these planets joining the senate. We've been completely stitched up."

Aoife laughed "That makes us even. I am here for no particular reason other than being shown off I assume, and you're here as a substitute. I think I might even edge towards a win in this case."

Kenobi sighed "You have the win. I have a comfortable seat and some Juma Juice, and Anakin gets to play armchair matchmaker with the guests, all under the glorious supervision of the Supreme Chancellor, we're all happy."

The night drew on in a comfortable silence, broken only for casual observations of the crowd or another order from the bar droids. As the crowds started to thin out, Aoife took in a lap of the hall, speaking to those she knew, being spoken to by those she didn't, and even a nod of acknowledgement from Palpatine, who was deep in conversation with Anakin over by the vast balcony. Kenobi was nowhere to be seen, as usual.

"Eee, fah"

Aoife shook her head, were all posh floors the same? Glass as well as marble? She sidestepped onto the stairs that led down into a perfectly manicured garden, a rarity in Coruscant but not one to miss when one had the chance. Bonanda barely had any lush vegetation left, these exotic flora had certainly be imported from elsewhere in the galaxy, but they were beautiful to experience nonetheless.

There was nobody in the gardens this late, and Aoife knelt down by an ornamental miniature lake and stared off into the distance, a remnant from the early meditation sessions she had learned in the temple.

"Aoife. You're not going mad. I promise. Please listen".

Aoife knew better than to hush voices in your head when you were Force-sensitive. "I'm listening" she whispered out loud.

There was no answer. Aoife tried to regain her composure, the emptiness of meditation, the wash of solitude. It had long gone, piqued by the voice.

"You'll get dirty knees… and then what will everyone think." The dry voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi broke the silence.

"That wholly depends on whether I walk back with you or not, I'm sure." Aoife rolled back onto her heels and stood up, turning to face her intruder.

Kenobi grinned a little, "it wouldn't be the greatest intrigue of the evening, I'm afraid. Ambassador Hotch has that one locked down."

"Where's your padawan?"

"Back at the temple, it's past his bedtime." Kenobi looked out beyond the walls of the garden towards the Jedi Temple. "Padawan Broat was here with her master, they went together. Broat will keep him out of trouble on the way back. She'll certainly make sure he makes it as far as the temple anyway."

"But you stayed when you had the perfect reason to drift away. Bedtime stories, tucking in, all that?" Aoife raised an eyebrow.

Kenobi gave the lightest of shrugs, "Stayed isn't really the word. Waylaid perhaps, by a delegation from Duro, who were unhappy about being relocated from their planet. Funnily enough, the minister for interplanetary immigration was unavailable for comment." He gestured towards the trees, "I came here for some air, and there you were, kneeling towards the lake, paying homage to the artifice of imported horticulture".

"I suppose we both needed the air." Aoife and Kenobi strolled back towards the halls, "Say, we could skip out now and nobody would see we had left, no awkward goodbyes, no words left unsaid."

"Top idea." Kenobi tucked Aoife's hand into the crook of his elbow "This way, Commander Toza."


End file.
